Mackinaw City may have two water parks

September 05, 2003|BY KIRSTEN FREDRICKSON NEWS-REVIEW STAFF WRITER

MACKINAW CITY - Mackinaw City may soon become a Mecca for waterpark enthusiasts - at more than one location.

Construction has begun on the Thunderfalls Family Waterpark on the Lake Michigan side of the Straits, while developers on the Lake Huron side of town have begun working on plans for a second indoor water park there.

Potentially, construction could begin on the second park, not yet named, just as Thunderfalls opens next June.

"It's like everyone wants to play in the sun … or inside," said Mackinaw City village manager Jeff Lawson. "The question is, can we sustain a couple of water parks? Our ordinance doesn't prevent multiple water parks, so if the market bears it and the person wants to develop it and it meets all our requirements, they can build it."

Anticipation of the building of Thunderfalls has been mounting for more than a year, and those affiliated with the park say they're excited about finally getting construction of the 20-acre park under way.

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Thunderfalls, located on Nicolet Avenue just off U.S. 31, includes eight separate waterslide attractions, a looping lazy river, Michigan's largest wave pool and an activity island containing two separate play areas for toddlers and older children.

"If you're a parent and you have one of each age, you as a parent can lounge between the two" said Edward Amick, managing partner. "Safety is very key to us, it's number one. The whole point is you want to put the parent at ease."

Amick said Thunderfalls will include attractions for people of all ages, including lounge areas, food service, arcade and other games of skill and ongoing special entertainment events.

"We believe that we need to give them more than just water rides," he said.

But Amick isn't alone in wanting to offer residents and visitors fun in the water.

The Lieghio TBWC Family Limited Partnership, a Mackinaw-area family which recently purchased the Traverse Bay Woolen Co. building in Mackinaw City, is also looking to provide some water-related fun.

According to Joe Lieghio, plans are being drawn up to build an indoor water park with several outdoor attractions near the recently purchased business.

"Hopefully we'll have plans submitted to the city in two months," he said. "It's going to be a unique water park, different than what's been built so far. We want to make it the premiere location in Michigan, better than anything in Wisconsin or Michigan."

Lieghio added that while no specific plans have been drawn yet as to just what the park will include, he said it will be different than Thunderfalls. The idea is to build an indoor park, complete with natural vegetation, that will be open year round.

"Mackinaw City needs something else in the winter. I feel this will be very helpful with bringing more people up during the winter," he said.

The Lieghio family will keep the former Traverse Bay Woolen Co. building, using it as retail space, and will keep the adventure golf course next door. That leaves a little more than 21 acres with which to work.

"It'll be a whole entertainment complex, we hope," Lieghio said. "We like the way the adventure golf course is laid out. There's a lot of water features and natural vegetation. And that's basically what we want to put under glass."

Still, the question remains for many: Two water parks in Mackinaw City?

Lieghio said the water parks shouldn't have to compete with each other, since they both will provide different atmospheres. And Mackinaw City could benefit from additional business brought to the area by both attractions, he said.

According to the Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau, Thunderfalls Family Waterpark is expected to draw more than 150,000 visitors in 2004, of which 60,000 are expected to be new visitors to the area.

And that's just one park.

"We're going to give people more to do. We're not going to take them away from the activities they're already doing, we're just giving them more," Lieghio said.

Kirsten Fredrickson can be reached at 439-9398, or kfredrickson@petoskeynews.com.